Vt. students may be asked to quarantine if families violate gathering guides

 Vermont students may be required to move to remote learning if their families violate the current gathering restrictions on Thanksgiving, state leaders announced Tuesday.

The Agency of Education is directing schools to add a new question to their daily health screenings — asking students and parents if they have participated in a multi-family gathering. If they say they did, that student will be required to quarantine for two weeks, or one week with a negative COVID-19 test.

Multi-household gatherings were prohibited in Vermont earlier this month, with very limited exceptions.

Gov. Phil Scott recommended businesses take up a similar measure with their employees.

"Your actions could hurt others," Scott said, referencing people choosing to gather in groups. "You never know when you're going to be the domino that leads to a nursing home outbreak or the one that pushes an entire school to remote learning."

The move comes as the state nears the end of its most infectious month since the pandemic began. State health officials have reported more than 1,500 new cases of the virus in November, including a single-day record 148 cases.

A model provided by the state's Department of Financial Regulation projects a 41% increase in new cases over the next month.

"If you want to keep working, for your kids to stay in school, to prevent more people from potentially dying from COVID-19: Please follow the governor's orders, "Health Commissioner Mark Levine said. "Don't get together with anyone outside your household and limit any travel that's not essential."

https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-students-may-be-asked-to-quarantine-if-families-violate-gathering-guidelines/34774134